Civil-disobedience ok or not?

As South Africans start to feel the economic pinch of COVID 19 lockdown the term of civil-disobedience is starting to become a regular talking point.

As South Africans start to feel the economic pinch of COVID 19 lockdown the term of civil-disobedience is starting to become a regular talking point. It became more apparent as I took the time to speak with people seen as community leaders. Civil disobedience may make some sense to one but it causes challenges when one considers it from a Biblical perspective.

CIVIL-DISOBEDIENCE: the refusal to comply with certain laws considered unjust as a peaceful form of political protest

The question we need to answer is: When is civil-disobedience acceptable for a child of God? There are a few examples in the Bible where this kind of action did take place and we see that there are times where God supported the protesters. One of these examples can be found in Daniel 3:18. In another instance, the biblical example is submission to the ruling authority of the day Esther 5.

One can argue that these are old testament examples and that the new testament sets a new president for us. Romans 13 is a strong place to refer to when It comes to learning about submission to the authority of government. The bible is clear. Authority in government comes from God and also serves His purpose. Whether we agree with laws made by our leaders or not is not really a point of debate for scripture.

There is only one instance when the Bible suggests that civil-disobedience could be acceptable according to Acts 5. It is only when we find ourselves in a place where the law of the land wants to force us to disobey God’s command that we have a reason to disobey.

God’s heart is absolutely clear. He commands that we owe no person anything other than love Romans 13v8. Our challenge then is to find a way to serve our cause while we stay true to the commandment of love. The truth is that we can not give ourselves to more than one cause at a time Matthew 6v24.

Looking at the guidelines of scripture there can only be one path or guideline when we consider the prospect of civil-disobedience. It can only be considered as a valid action when we are forced to choose between obeying the will of God or the law of man. Only when man-made law challenges God’s rule in our life do we have a duty or consent to disregard or challenge it.

We should never forget that we are representatives of the house of God in a fallen world. The house of God must also be understood not to be the church as we know it but the bride of Christ. We are living stones in the body of Christ and have a duty to be faithful to his command to us. We are commanded to Love the Lord above all else and our neighbors as we love ourselves.

We must place God first above all. If the world’s leaders challenge that we MUST choose faithfulness to God. If they challenge our personal desires or freedoms we are encouraged to act in love. Paul chose to submit to the will of God even when it meant facing arrest with the prospect of death.

Paul also teaches us that our social relationships should be lived in peace. There is a very powerful reassurance that God will take charge of and restore any injustices that we may face. Perhaps he is suggesting that our trust in God’s hand should extend to the place where we tolerate unjust burdens knowing that God is our champion. He will restore all injustices we may endure in His name.

Paul chose to obey the Lord’s guidance, regardless of the potential risk to his own well being. Our personal challenge in the face of tyranny from our official leaders is to honor God with submission to authority. First, we must obey His command to love Him above all, and then our fellow saints. As His children, we are called to show obedience to all authority because it comes from His throne.
#GrowMySpirit
#OneCommandment

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